Qantas A380: Last superjumbo makes final flight ahead of storage in Mojave desert until 2023

The last Qantas A380 has made its final flight for the time being, arriving in California ahead of entering storage. The superjumbo, registration VH-OQI, flew from Dresden, Germany, to Victorville on Monday. From there, it travelled to the Mojave Desert, where it will be stored along with the rest of Qantas' fleet of 12 A380s until demand for international travel returns. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has estimated that won't happen until 2023, grounding the A380s for three years. Several Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are also used for international long-haul routes, have also been put into storage at Mojave. However, Qantas will use a Dreamliner next month for a sightseeing flight that will depart and land at Sydney Airport after flying over Australian icons like the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru. Qantas Dreamliners will also be used for the first time by Antarctica Flights for their annual summer sightseeing trips over Antarctica. "The A380s have to remain on the ground for at least three years until we see those international volumes brought back," Joyce said in June. "The aircraft are being put into the Mojave desert because it's better for them to be sitting there. The environment protects the aircraft a lot more, and we have the intention, at the right time, to activate them." <br/>